Wind Is at Lewis’s Back at British Open as Park Misses Record

Stacy Lewis, teeing off at the 18th hole at St. Andrews on Sunday, ended a streak of 10 women’s major championships won by Asian players.

Warren Little / Getty Images

By KAREN CROUSE

August 4, 2013

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Stacy Lewis forecast the Women’s British Open better than the meteorologists. It’s not her fault that few people were paying attention.

With the spotlight burning on South Korea’s Inbee Park and her singular quest, Lewis said at the week’s start, “I think you want to be that person that kind of spoils history a little bit.”

Lewis, 28, started the year with the pressure that comes with being the reigning player of the year. After she supplanted Taiwan’s Yani Tseng as the world No. 1 in March, the expectations became burdensome. While Park strung together major titles like pearls, Lewis tied for 32nd at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, which she won in 2011; tied for 28th at the L.P.G.A. Championship; and tied for 42nd at the United States Women’s Open.

With the attention on the Old Course focused elsewhere, Lewis was freed to play as if it were 2012 once more. Weathering a delay that prevented her from executing a shot Saturday because of 40-mile-per-hour winds that were not in the forecast, Lewis on Sunday posted rounds of three-under-par 69 and 72 for an eight-under 280. She finished two strokes ahead of Na Yeon Choi (75-73) and Hee Young Park (70-73). Lewis’s fellow American Morgan Pressel, who led by one after 54 holes, closed with a 76 and tied for fourth with Suzann Pettersen (74) at 283.

Lewis broke a streak of 10 major championships won by Asian players. She also became the second American, following Sherri Steinhauer in 2006, to win the event since it became a women’s major in 2001. Lewis pulled out the victory in stirring fashion, with birdies on the last two holes. On No. 17, she set up her birdie with an approach shot that she hit exactly as she had pictured it. On 18, she drained a 25-foot putt for birdie.

“It’s just crazy,” Lewis said. “I was hanging in there all day and then, you know, 17 and 18 just happened so fast.” She added: “It was so hard. You had to stay focused on the next shot. You couldn’t even really think about the end.”

Pressel’s consolation prize was an automatic berth on the United States team that will compete against Europe in the Solheim Cup outside Denver from Aug. 16 to 18. Also qualifying was Lizette Salas, who finished sixth at three under. The American captain, Meg Mallon, named Gerina Piller and Michelle Wie as her discretionary picks. Her European counterpart, Liselotte Neumann, named Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Caroline Hedwall, Giulia Sergas and 17-year-old Charley Hull as her wild-card picks.

Hee Young Park tied for second.

Scott Heppell / Associated Press

Park, who was trying to become the first professional player, male or female, to win four majors in the same year, tied for 42nd. After covering her opening 10 holes Thursday in six under, Park played the last 62 holes in 12 over to finish at 294. Park’s consolation prize is to take two weeks off.

“I really enjoyed this week, every moment that I was here,” Park said, “but it is tough to be in the center of everything for a week, and I feel exhausted a little bit.”

Park, 25, received no help from Mother Nature. She played her second round in the afternoon in the worst of conditions and her first four holes of the third round in the gusts that eventually caused play to be suspended.

“I enjoyed it, but 32 holes in the final round under the pressure was tough,” Park said.

How much of a factor were the different conditions? Lewis said that on the first hole of her third round Sunday, she used a gap wedge for her approach, while Paula Creamer, who hit her approach at No. 1 shortly before play was called on Saturday, used a 5-wood.

“Obviously, it was unplayable,” Lewis said, “and I think once I got out there and saw some of the hole locations, the hole locations weren’t set up for a bunch of wind.” She added, “For me and the leaders, we were all glad we didn’t get out there.”

Nine golfers completed their third rounds Saturday, and their average score was 78.2. On Sunday, those nine players completed their fourth rounds in an average of 73.9 strokes. The top nine on the leader board played all 18 holes of their third rounds in the same conditions the first nine did their final 18 and averaged 73.9.

“I really wanted to play yesterday,” Park said. “I was ready to play in the wind. I played four holes in really windy conditions and, you know, I was handling myself really good out there and felt really good about my game.”

Stacy Lewis reacted to holing out a birdie putt on the 18th green.

Warren Little / Getty Images

She added, “I think I could have been better than this maybe.”

Park’s putter, which had been hotter than Death Valley, finally cooled down. On the first hole of her fourth round, she four-putted. She finished with 40 putts, 10 more than on Thursday, when she one-putted the first four greens.

One South Korean journalist summed up Park’s week: “She failed.”

Park, the top-ranked women’s player, took the longer view. She can still become the first pro to win four majors in the same year because the L.P.G.A. this year elevated the Evian Championship in September to a fifth major.

“I’ve done something amazing this season, winning three in a row,” she said. “I don’t know if I can do that again. That’s going to be really tough.”

Lewis had the best view on the course of Park’s mastery at the United States Women’s Open. Paired with Park in the first two rounds, she was outscored, 135 to 147.

“She is making putts off the edge of the green, ones that you wouldn’t expect her to make,” Lewis said then. “It’s definitely frustrating for us watching.”

Then, Park finished 20 strokes ahead of Lewis, the player she supplanted as the world No. 1. On Sunday, Lewis finished 14 strokes ahead of Park.

“That’s golf,” Lewis said, adding: “It’s just kind of the way it is. Inbee’s dealt with a lot, so I’m sure she’s exhausted.”

Lewis, meantime, has her second wind in her pursuit of the No. 1 ranking.

“If I get back there, I just want to enjoy it more,” she said. “When I got there in March, I was overwhelmed and busy and never really got to enjoy it. So I want to get back there so I can enjoy it a little more.”